?? ??????? ????

PRESENT DAY

Finally, I finished the last two slides of the report I was working on. I managed to keep my concentration even just for a while. After double checking the entire presentation, I emailed Jess the pdf file so she can review it already.

"Madam! Nasend ko na 'yung monthly report ng Casa Noble sa email mo. Pa-check na lang if meron akong na-miss na insights and stats para we can add pa before sending to client." Abiso ko kay Jess na nakaupo sa workstation niya. Tumingin naman siya sa gawi ko.

"Uy thank you, thank you. Sige check ko agad after nito. May need lang akong i-send na email to client. Hinga ka muna diyan alam kong kanina ka pa stressed sa report na yan." Ngumiti muna siya sa'kin bago tinuloy ang ginagawa.

"Alright, just let me know!" Tugon ko bago muling humarap sa aking work computer.

So now what? Start ko na ba 'yung reports ng iba pa naming clients? Not a good idea right now. To be honest, I was feeling all over the place. Buti na nga lang may natapos akong report kahit papaano ngayong araw. Hindi ako mapakali for some reason.

My mind started to wander again. But I quickly got back to my senses when I saw my phone light up. Without much thought, I picked it up and saw the notification.

INSTAGRAM
official.cloud9 started a live video. Watch it before it ends!

Hello, my boys. It's been a while...

When I got home from Baguio last Saturday, I put away every Cloud 9 merch I had on display. Anything that would remind me of Cloud 9 and Kaze. It's the only thing I thought of to cope after what happened. Even my phone has a new case, pastel yellow with a cute cat pattern. My lock and home screen now display a photo of Artem Wing (best ML from ToT uwu). And my desktop wallpaper is currently a photo of the Geo Zdaddy, Zhongli.

Cloud 9 had been my sanctuary whenever it felt like the universe had turned its back on me. Actually, I found out about them when I was at a low point in life way back in college. Their music became my refuge, and without them, I wasn't really sure if I would have made it through those trying times.

But right now, I can't find comfort in their songs because they only remind me of what happened in Baguio. Since I got back, all I could do was cry myself to sleep every night. Until I reached a point where I felt completely numb that I couldn't cry anymore. I don't know what else to do. I miss listening to Cloud 9 songs. I miss Cloud 9... I miss the love of my life, I miss Kaze...

•───────•°• ꒰ა∞໒꒱•°•───────•

Cloud 9 is the first ever Kpop boyband based in Manila, formed by NW (Next World) Entertainment and debuted in 2013. The group consists of 9 total members. They had a rough start in their career, the media and the press actually dubbed their debut as NW Entertainment's worst failure. But a year later, they had their breakthrough with their hit single, Noise, the title track of their 1st Album: Eternally Yours. The album sold over a million copies, reviving the physical album market in the country. Since then, all albums they released have sold over at least a million copies, which earned them the title - NW's Million Seller group.

Jeremiah Miguel Lee had been known by his stage name "Kaze", which means wind in Japanese. It was chosen as his stage name due to the crucial role wind plays in the formation and movement of clouds, fitting for his role as the leader of Cloud 9. Born on May 25, 1992, not much was known about his parents except that his mother is an American living in LA, while his Korean father's whereabouts were still unknown. Kaze was most popularly known as the "Golden Ratio Face idol" thanks to his flawless visuals. His unique tone and vocal colors had also earned him the nickname "Human Harp."